


She's Leaving Home

by bramblefae



Series: Tessa of Lothering [1]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: OC, Tessa of Lothering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-22
Updated: 2014-09-22
Packaged: 2018-02-18 09:56:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2344229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bramblefae/pseuds/bramblefae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tessa returns home to find that the worst thing has happened. And then it gets worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	She's Leaving Home

**Author's Note:**

> Tessa is an original character created for a group playing the Green Ronin Dragon Age RPG. 
> 
> This is what starts her on the path of "Adventurer".

Tessa stopped on the bridge above Lothering and looked out over the village. After a few moments, she sighed before heading down into the town.

She stopped in front of the Chantry, as she always did when she first came into town after being gone, and said a silent prayer.

‘Maker, don’t let her be drunk.’

Tess was glad she didn’t see anyone on the short walk to the shack she shared with her mother.  She was exhausted and just wanted to wash up and eat something.

She pushed open the door and immediately saw her mother’s limp form on the floor in front of the cold hearth. Tessa dropped her packs and ran the few steps to the prone woman, dropping to her knees.

After shoving several empty bottles out of the way, she rolled the smaller woman onto her back.

“Nononono. Dammit, mother. DAMMIT.”

Tessa had no idea how long her mother had been dead, laid out among the bottles that had been slowly killing her for years. She always half expected to come home to this one day, but she was finding that the reality was much more than she was ready for.

Several minutes later, numb but composed, Tess picked up her mother’s body and carried her into the bedroom for the last time.  She set about to washing the body because she did not want the Revered Mother to see Brindela like this.  Tess had found a clean nightshirt and was setting about to brush out her mother’s hair when she heard the front door slam open.

She saw that it was two of the templars from the Chantry.  She didn’t know their names, but she knew that both of them were known to come to her mother for their sex.

“Where’s your mam?” The tall one, short red hair standing on end no matter how he combed it, spoke first, sneering at Tess.  His companion, a shorter, stocky man with well-kept brown hair and a neat beard, said nothing, but his leering said enough.  Tess had never seen them here together, but she’d stopped trying to keep track of what depravities her mother would allow herself long ago.

“She’s gone.”  Well, that was true enough.  Tessa didn’t know why she didn’t just say. Maybe she just thought she could save her mother one last indignity.

The redhead turned to his companion, as if to go, but the neat looking dark haired man said, “Well, that’s too bad. We’d hoped for some entertainment.” He eyed Tessa, making his meaning clear.

Red turned back toward Tess, looking apprehensive but curious.  

“Get.Out.” This was becoming ridiculous and Tessa wasn’t interested in any of this posturing.

The dark haired Ser walked toward Tessa. “No. We’re getting what we came for. Fight or don’t, it can be a good time either way.”

She caught his look at the redhead too late. Her arms were pinned behind her and the redhead spoke from just over her shoulder.

“I don’t know that this is a good idea. What if she tells Kelveth?”

The dark haired man stepped forward so that his body would touch hers if she struggled and his next words were spoken against her neck.

“I know he feels sorry for this one, but even he wouldn’t go against another templar over a whore.”

He grazed his teeth against her skin and she kicked out at his shin. He grabbed a handful of her hair with one hand, jerking her head back so that she was looking at the ceiling, and her left breast with the other, squeezing hard enough to bruise.

“You’re going to comply. It’s up to you whether we use force. It’s better for you if you just decide to be a good girl.”

Tessa realized that he was right. If she could comply long enough to make one of them drop their guard, she thought that was all she’d need.  Her sword was with her packs, near the door. If she could get to it...

She forced her body to relax, hoping they would take it as a sign of resignation. The brown haired man in front of her didn’t let go of her hair, but he did let go of her breast as he stepped in to press himself against her.

“That’s a girl.” To his companion he said, “Give me her right hand, and keep the other one.”

She let the dark haired man take hold of her hand.  His hand was sweaty as he stepped back slightly to press her hand against his erection. Tessa looked him in the eye until he dropped his gaze.

“Alright, darling, on your knees. Let’s see if your mother taught you anything.”

At the mention of her mother, something in Tessa snapped. These bastards were as responsible for her death as the drinking. They took her self-worth, her dignity. Without conscious thought, Tessa clenched down on the bit of the dark haired man that she still had in her hand and gave a quick and vicious twist.

As he fell to *his* knees, clutching his parts, Tessa kneed him in the face and jerked out of the redhead’s grasp, taking advantage of his surprise.

In a black fury, Tessa grabbed the dark haired man by the hair and kneed him again before he grabbed her tunic hem and pulled her down.  She fought him with blind abandon, punching and scratching, the only thought in her head was that this bastard was going to die.

After a time, she felt someone grabbing her arms and as she struggled, the redhead’s voice made it through the fog of rage in Tessa’s brain.

“Get off! Before you kill him, you crazy bitch!”

Slowly, Tess’s head cleared and she jerked herself out his grasp and got herself onto her feet.

The dark haired man was laying on the floor, unconscious and Tessa’s knuckles hurt like fury.  The redheaded templar was trying to rouse his companion enough to get him out of the shack and Tessa let them go.

As the door closed, she folded herself to floor to sit on her knees, her legs shaking too hard to hold her up.

Tessa had no idea how long she’d sat that way when Ser Kelveth opened the front door. Not long, she’d thought-it was still daylight.

“Tessa! Maker! Are you alright? What happened? Where’s your mother?” She said nothing, just pointed wearily toward the bedroom.

As the older templar, the man who’d trained her in swordplay and inspired her to want to join the Order,entered the bedroom, Tess heard him say, “Blessed Andraste.”  She rose to her feet, stiffly, and walked to the counter beside the hearth to upend a jar.  She took the coins that fell out-hopefully enough to see her mother’s funeral arrangements made, and turned to meet Ser Kelveth as he walked out of the bedroom.

The older man’s brown eyes were filled with concern. Tessa wanted to tell him she was alright, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak. It was well past the time for talk.

She put her sword on her back and picked her packs up.  

“Tessa, we can sort this out. No one would blame you for defending yourself, not now.”

Tessa reached up and touched the man’s face.  She loved Kelveth the way she always imagined children loving their parents and she wanted to tell him so, but she couldn’t.

He nodded then, not understanding, but pretending he did as Tessa walked out of her mother’s house for the last time.

 

 


End file.
